The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-07
THE COMMAND TO PREACH
The Most Important and Thrilling Com
mission Ever Given to Man.
Administrations of the Tract and Mis-
sionary Society During the Last Year.

Inc camp meeting or the Seventn-day Ad-
ventists proceeded usual yesterday. In the
way of business, nothing was done of interest to
The public except report by the Tract and Mis-
yionary Society of Indiana. The following
The more important statistics of the report:
Number of missionary visits made. 1884, Bible
readings held, 2.4o5; missionary letters written
l.629; replies received 1885, pages of tracts and
pamphlets sold, loaned given away. 1,745, SCI;
periodicals sold LOANED or given away. GA, Al.
The appreciative audience that assembled to
hear Elder Lane and to welcome him upon his
return from ENGLAND were highly entertained
by the sermon he delivered. The Elder stated,
In opening, that although he did not expect to
present anything new as far as doctrinal points
were concerned. he did hope to present some
thought that might do some good. SIN Matthew
xviii. 49, 20 is recorded" he said ''the Great
Commission, the most thrilling given to
Notice that in introducing the commits
sion the Savior says, verse 49, all power is given
10 me in heaven and in earth, and in view of this
roye into all the earth-that is, from this
Tact teach ys all nations. Now, according to
this. the truth is to be preached every where.
This truth is not then national but in
ternational, and so we find that he who
patches the real fire of this commission is willing
10 go anywhere. The cause demands men of
earnestness men who will not confine them
selves to narrow circles, but will have courage
to branch out, speed away the country and
visit foreign lands to proclaim the grand truths
We who teach to you by voice, pen, press
carry out the grand work of Jesus while He was
npon earth. obtain this idea from the express
sion of our Lord. Il command you Jesus was
not only the worlds educator, but also the great
est missionary the world has ever seen. and the
same spirit that actuated Him should character
ize u.s. and we should have the same earnestness
did the Savior He taught all classes; not
the highest exclusively, or simply the middle
classes the lower but all classes. II is true
that He taught Peter, James and John fishermen,
but with the same willingness He entered the
house of the ruler whose daughter fell sick and
dined with Zaccheus, and with the same willing
spirit with which He went to these. aud to
Mary, and Martha did He associate with all
classes. His disciples caught His spirit and
ried the truth in the same way that He did,
rying out even his method OF preaching. We
can study the same method, and il the spirit of
methods will be identical with those of Je-
sus. We may not see the results Immediately,
did our Savior. There were only eleven
true men the result of His ministry Would
ministers feel encouraged now if, after laboring
equal length of time, they could see but
eleven souls as the fruit of their abora
But did the eleven represent all Christ's
work. Oh. no. Even the soldiers who were sent
TO arrest him as they saw the people listening to
WORDS Jesus eager ears nSt6n6O
and their hearts were touched, and they let him
alone, reporting to the rulers their excuse,
Never man spake as this man speaks. Then
Nicodemus arose and said, Does Lord
judge a man before he is heardP What caused
him to say thatl Why, few months before,
on the moonlit mountain he had had an inter-
view with Jesus and the good seed was sown in
his heart which, after the resurrection, brought
forth fruit. and Nicodemus stood up boldly and
confessed Jesus to be the Son of God.
''As it was with Jesus. so it will be with u.s.
We cannot always see the result We preach
and think that no good has been accomplished,
but hereafter we will see souls who listened to i
the truth proclaimed. and who owe to us,
next to Christ. their eternal salvation. Never
become discouraged. If we realize the character
of our labor we will never get in that condition.
In John !, 20 we find John pointing out Jesus
TO his disciples the Messiah. The record of
Johns work is very brief, but we find that the
next day after pointing ont Jesus is the first
record of his Acknowledgement of Him as the
Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God No
doubt John had talked with his disciples about
Him and deep i'm preston had been made pom
their minds and two of them followed him.
How were they received? Jesus turned and
said unto them, what seek ye9 How Ineekiy
they answered, Rabbi, where dweest tnouP
Jesus answered, Come and see, and they went
with him and stad the whole day. it being then
about p NJ. AS Jesus continued to talk to
them their hearts kindled with the same fire
that burned in His breast. and the longer He
talke the more fnlly they felt the spirit Of God
upon them Had they been selfish they would
have continued to live with Jesus and listen
long He would speak to them, but one of the
two filled with true missionary zeal, went and
told Nathaniel, and the other went to work Also
The surest sign of true missionary spirit is to
see any one becoming interested others.
And further, when the heart is touched the
pocket-book ceases to be precious If believer
In the truth does not know this is SO, brethren,
he has never been converted. This is plain
talk but il lie So"
The speaker went to show how the truth
will spread abroad. even under very unfavorable
circumstances, citing the case of Paul. in prison
at Rome, converting many members of the |
n a nd r. mo ha IN
himself. He then spoke of the mail regulations |
of Russia, and how mail matter is treated in
that empire. Every published page |
passes through the hands OF Inspector. and |
il ne detects anything he thinks derogatory |
dangerous he blots II out with sponge mois-
tened with a kind OF black ink, SO that it cannot |
be read, and then the paper is allowed to pass
There are many Jews in Russia, and they are |
very much disliked consequently anything in
printed page in reference to the Sabbath is i'm
nnediately tiotted out-but does that stop the |
workl Oh. no. There have been more CONVEX
sions in Russia than in all the rest OF Europe
com bined No one can 20 there and preach
ministers do here. 1t is unlawful; but man
can talk to six or eight persons, not more If he
sits down while talking He can take the Bible
and read though talking to himself So little
will quietly assent bic in this way,
aud at the end of the meeting will arrange to
let other ne1ghbors hear by staying away them
selves. that the number allowed bv law may
not be exceeded. Brethren" said Elder Lane,
"there is not power enough on the earth to stop
the advance OF the truth. All we want to
it is the same spirit Jesus had.
Paul speaks of the things happening to him as
having fallen out rather unto the furtherance of
the gospel-that is, they were to prove a bless
ing to tho gospel itself and in the end a blessing
to Paul also. He could not preach to the house,
hold of Caesar as am doing to you, but in chains
from prison he spoke the words to the servants
Of the palace they passed him. and these
finally began to stand in its defense, and re-
suit Paul could write to the church at Philippi,
All the saints tat Rome) salute you chiefly they
that are of Caesars household. We Will meet
circumstances of very discouraging nature,
but it is just as true that the Bible is true,
that the message for our days will make its way
into the very best families on earth, matter
what opposes it,"
The Elder then narrated story of Mr. Arm.
strong in England, who and still is baker
TO Lord Marlborough. very wealthy nobleman,
owning fifteen miles square OF farms, villages
and cities, and upon whose estate the city of
Grimsby is plated the lord owning nearly
svery house The baker heard the truth and
began the observance of the Sabbath. He was